A Matter of Family
by gardengnome19
Summary: Charlie Weasley is the most evasive Weasley... What exactly was his part in the events that transpired before the fall of the Dark Lord? And what happened soon after?


Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters and ideas associated with it

Charlie Weasley once again surveyed the scene that had been laid out before him. Despite having to retake his **apparition **test a few times he was not a stupid man. He knew something about women and as he watched his mother and Melinda maintain their stare down contest he knew that this was very likely his very last day on earth.

Life until now had been pretty much perfect he should have known it was too good to last. He had been working at Sol Farms for months. Ever since his impromptu marriage had occurred he had been allowed to be the head gamekeeper. It was quite the position, as Sol Farms only ever employed family you had to have some sort of connection to get in. So when he and Melinda had eloped last Christmas her parents had handed over the position to him. He had loved working with dragons but here he got to see all types of different creatures. That and he didn't have to take Melinda away from her family and he could be closer to his. After all he had been living abroad since he had been out of school.

Putting off this meeting had started innocently enough he considered with a sigh. He hadn't meant to go a year without mentioning the facts. He had met Melinda while he had been at home for Bill's wedding. She had been a guest of a friend of the family and when the death eaters had shown up they had ended up in the same area of chaos. He couldn't really explain his desire to keep her out of trouble that day but it had been there and he hadn't been able to get her of his mind afterwards. So that's how he had found himself stealing away into Britain under the pretence of checking on his parents and siblings to share stolen moments with her. It wasn't until they had actually gotten married at Christmas that he had even considered that he would have to tell his parents at some point.

While he had had no regrets in moving so quickly he did consider that by announcing his life changing news life was about to become much more complicated on so many levels. There was so much more that had to still be said and if his mother was going to yell and scream at every turn things were going to take that much longer. He already knew that the trouble he was in with Melinda had reached a critical level after all what new bride liked having in-laws that knew not of her existence sprung upon them? There was also the small fact that she may have been led to believe by him that they did know of her existence. He was about to suggest that the should continue this show down over dessert when his brother in-law stumbled upon the scene…

"Oy, Melinda mom's having kittens in there wondering where the where you and Charlie ran off to." Matthew Sol announced to the room as he leisurely consumed an apple. "Now I personally couldn't care less what you and the hubby sneak off to do but if your going do the newly wed thing in the middle of the day then you should probably finish up the prep work for lunch first."

"I will have you know Matthew Sol, that I am not shirking off my responsibilities I am merely dealing with a small matter that came up."

"Sure, sure your going to have to do better then that when mom gets a hold of you is all I'm saying."

Melinda sighed as she turned back to the dinning room where a small sea of red headed people were now staring at her. "While if you excuse me I must get back to work or we will get swamped with the lunch crowd. I'm sure Charlie will be able to answer all the questions you have and I'll try to get back for coffee." She said with a slight smile that completely vanished when her eyes landed on her husband.

"And you better fix this or else." Melinda demanded as she stalked off into the kitchen at the back of the restaurant.

"Or else? In the doghouse are we Charlie? What pray tell did you do to work baby sister into s snit?" Matt inquired having watched the scene with a smirk firmly in place.

"I may have neglected to inform my family that I had gotten married." Charlie said as he stared after his wife.

"Seriously? Dude you're a braver man than I! How did she find out anyway?"

Charlie turned slowly to survey his family as he sighed deeply. "Matt," He said as he gestured to the other occupants of the room that had been uncharacteristically silent during this exchange, "this my mom and dad, my brothers, my sister, and Harry." Charlie gestured to each as he listed them. "Everyone this is my brother in law Matt."

"Just when I thought I was having a tough day… You never do anything the easy way do you Charlie boy. Waiting until the family stumbles upon the daughter in law. Well I'd love to stay an watch you final hours but alas I have get back before mom or one of the sisters notices I'm not doing anything. It was wonderful meeting everyone." Matt said as he sauntered of in the direction of the exit.

As eight pairs of eyes set upon him Charlie sighed and ushered them towards a table at the back of the room. He wanted knew this may get ugly and he wanted to be as far away from the regulars when it did. When everyone was seated he began telling his tale as quickly as possible hoping to avoid interruptions… He told them that he was no longer living in Romania but had become the games keeper at Sol Farm and Inn in the tiny wizarding village of Gnome

As he finally finished up his tale his wife reappeared at his side. To say she was un-amused was the understatement of a lifetime. "Great Charlie! Here we are married for a year! An entire year and then you happen to mention all of a sudden (Charlie couldn't help but think that he hadn't all of a sudden mentioned anything more hadn't had another excuse when she had asked why she hadn't met any of his family) A Year of excuses! That you haven't informed anyone of my existence…"

His father and his brothers regarded the whole situation with endless amounts of amusement in fact Charlie thought when he looked at George that he hadn't seen him this happy since Fred had been alive. Deciding that he had to do something to ease the tension he took yet a crack a getting the Melinda to sit and talk like the rational adult he knew she could be if she really wanted to be.

"Melinda?" He questioned looking at his wife of a year. "Do you really think that all this stress is good for the baby."

And as he heard the collective gasps through out the dinning room of the Sol estate restaurant, Charlie Weasley rethought the idea that he was not s stupid man under the glare his wife now shot him.

"…and now if that weren't enough, you blurt out we are having a baby after springing a super secret wife on your family. I'm surprised the whole bunch of them have let you make it this far if this is the care in which you present life changing news with." Melinda ranted. Mrs. Weasley in the back round nodding her head as both his mother and Wife now seamed to have a common goal lynching him!

"Well now this is quite the bit of news, Melinda dear do sit down as we would like to get to know you." Mr. Weasley said finally taking some pity on his son who seamed to have been backed into a corner.

"Yes dear do sit I suppose it isn't your fault my son has the common sense of a blast-ended skewt!" Mrs Weasley prompted secretly impressed at her new daughter in-laws ability to put her son in his place

As Melinda sat and shifted slightly in her seat she couldn't help but wonder exactly what she had done to deserve this. After all she was a good woman. She believed in family values and showed proper respect for things that weren't entirely in her control. But as she looked up from the scrubbed table top surface to find a room full of eyes trained completely on her she couldn't help but imagine the ways in which she would pay her husband back. That was before the inquisition had even started…


End file.
